Our Expert Opinion

Contabo

Contabo Introduction

Contabo is a web hosting provider that focuses on attracting business customers. It was founded in Germany in 2003, and is currently managed by two partners: Michael Herpich, and Michael Bölke. It currently manages more than 5,000 servers at its datacenter in Munich, and it also runs its operations from an office in the same facility. In November 2014, Contabo expanded, and now owns its own datacenter in Nuremberg which it uses alongside its original Munich location.

Contabo has evolved and changed through its history, rebranding from its previous name: Giga International. It serves customers in Germany and around the world through two separate websites. It says its three specialties are low prices, pre-sale consultation, and exceptional customer service.

Services and Specializations

Contabo started its business by offering dedicated servers, and this is where its focus lies today. Due to its expansion into a second data center, it also provides colocation.

Dedicated servers can be customized prior to ordering, with basic specifications listed on the order page. Both Linux and Windows operating systems are available with RAID storage as standard, and all users benefit from root access. Each user gets one IPv4 address, plus 65,535 IPv6 IP addresses.

Contabo also sells VPS hosting, with basic plans offering hybrid HDD and SSD storage. More expensive plans are provided with SSD storage. Users can customize the processor cores, RAM, and storage on their server. In addition, they can choose the speed of the connection. Again, both Linux and Windows are on offer, with root access on all plans.

Shared hosting is available through Contabo, with unlimited traffic on all plans. Disk space, MySQL databases, and email addresses are limited, but not to a degree that clients should hit limits. Some plans are limited on certain features, such as support for CGI or SSL, and the most basic plan does not allow the user to install blogging software.

Colocation packages are scalable. Every aspect of the colocation plan can be tailored online, giving instant feedback on cost and pricing terms. Users can even choose their billing structure for power at the point of order: fixed price per month for average usage, priced by kWh, or priced per 16A outlet.

Aside from domain names, there's just one other thing on offer: game servers. Contabo offers various Linux game server plans for specific multiplayer games, including a Minecraft game server option. Plans are priced according to the number of slots, and voice communication can be added as an option. For a fee, users can even remove the Contabo branding. All game servers are located in its Munich datacenter.

Infrastructure

Contabo offers lots of information about its infrastructure. It has servers in two datacenters in Germany, which also serve as its headquarters and offices.

Contabo has been at its Munich datacenter since 2009. It provides 300 square meters of space, with a capacity for 4,000 Contabo servers.

Contabo also has its own datacenter in Nuremberg, which offers additional capacity for servers, and the ability to offer colocation services to its clients. The Nuremberg facility provides a 1,700 square meter data hall with the capacity for 10,000 servers, as well as 700 square meters dedicated to office space.

These two facilities are geographically separate, and benefit from different power suppliers, meaning that it's less likely that a provider outage could take out both facilities at once. Both have n+1 cooling and climate cabinets, and make use of free cooling technology. They are carrier neutral, with multiple fiber connections coming into the facility and multiple 10 Gigabit uplinks providing plenty of capacity.

Power is supplied via an on-site substation, and is backed up with multiple uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Staff are present 24/7, and all sites are secured via ID cards, alarms, webcams, fire detection/suppression, and individually lockable racks.

Support and Customer Service

Contabo provides telephone support from 8 am until 11 pm, in its local time zone (UTC+1). It also offers support via email, although it's not specific on the times email support is provided.

The company provides an online FAQ and free tutorials on server management. The tutorials are ideal for users who are new to managing their own server, and will be useful for anyone who isn't a trained system administrator.

Backups

Contabo offers a backup bolt-on that gives users the ability to save encrypted backups via FTP. There's also another service, 100% Auto Backup, that provides automatic and regular backups for the entire contents of a web hosting account. With this add-on, backups are taken daily, weekly and monthly. In order to retrieve a backup, clients have to contact support to request the files.

There does not appear to be a free backup solution included with any plans.

Uptime Guarantee

Contabo does not appear to offer an uptime guarantee on its web hosting plans.

Billing and Payment

Payment is taken via bank transfer, PayPal, Skrill, and Western Union. Payments can be initiated via the user control panel once you have your login details from Contabo.

Summary

Contabo is a professional host that has particular appeal for customers in Germany and central Europe. The fact that it owns and operates its own datacenters will be a plus for customers that want solid, long-term service and fast response to technical problems. Although both of its facilities are staffed around the clock, it appears that support isn't provided overnight, which is the one area we would highlight for improvement. In all other respects, Contabo has a strong legacy and a comprehensive set of hosting plans for businesses and gamers alike.